List of geographical tors facts for kids
A tor is a large, freestanding rock formation that often looks like a pile of giant boulders. These amazing natural sculptures are usually found on hills or mountains. They form when softer rock around them wears away over a very long time, leaving behind the harder, more resistant rock. Think of it like a giant's building blocks, stacked up high!
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Tors in Great Britain
Dartmoor's Famous Tors
Dartmoor is a huge area in the United Kingdom known for its many tors. It covers about 368 square miles! This area is part of a long chain of granite rock that stretches all the way to the Isles of Scilly.
The tors on Dartmoor are made from very strong granite. One of the most famous is Haytor. Its granite was so good that people quarried it (dug it out) in the 1800s and early 1900s. This stone was used to build important places like the pillars outside the British Museum in London and even parts of London Bridge! The last granite from Haytor was used for the Exeter War Memorial in 1919.
Did you know there's a famous event called Ten Tors? It's an annual weekend hike across Dartmoor, where teams of young people trek between ten different tors.
Tors in Cornwall
Cornwall also has many impressive tors, especially on Bodmin Moor. Here are a few examples:
- Alex Tor
- Hawk's Tor (there are two of these!)
- Helman Tor
- Rough Tor
- Brown Willy
- Cheesewring (a very unique-looking tor!)
- Kilmar Tor
Some hills in Cornwall also have "tor" in their name, even if they don't look exactly like the classic stacked-rock tors. Examples include Kit Hill and Hensbarrow Beacon.
Peak District Tors
The Peak District is another area in England with many tors. You'll find them especially in the Dark Peak region, where the rocks are made of something called Millstone Grit.
Some well-known tors here include:
- Back Tor, Derwent Edge
- Carl Wark, Hathersage Moor
- Chee Tor, Buxton
- Higger Tor and Over Owler Tor
- The Salt Cellar on Derwent Edge
It's interesting that some hills in this area, like Mam Tor and Shining Tor, have "tor" in their name but aren't the same type of rock formation.
Tors in the Pennines
The Pennine hills also feature some notable tors:
- Almscliffe Crag near Harrogate
- Cow and Calf, on Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire. These are also made from Millstone Grit.
- Haslingden Tor in Lancashire.
Scottish Tors
Scotland has many tors, especially in the Cairngorm mountains. These are also made from granite.
- The Barns of Bynack, found on Bynack More
- Ben Avon
- Beinn a' Bhuird
- Beinn Mheadhoin
Other Tors in Great Britain
- Glastonbury Tor is a famous hill in Somerset with a tower on top.
- Stiperstones in the Shropshire Hills are a dramatic ridge of tors.
- The Schil and Newton Tors in Northumberland.
You might also hear of Tor Bay near Oxwich Bay in south Wales. This beach is named "Tor Bay" because it's surrounded by a huge outcrop of Carboniferous Limestone rock.
Tors Around the World
Tors aren't just found in Great Britain! They exist in many other countries too.
African Tors
- Kit-Mikayi in Kenya is a very famous tor.
- You can also find "Castle koppies" (which are a type of tor) in Central Zimbabwe.
German Tors
Germany has some impressive tors:
- Externsteine in the Teutoburg Forest
- Greifensteine in the Ore Mountains
- Großer Waldstein in the Fichtel Mountains
- Heinrichshöhe and Hohneklippen in the Harz mountains
Indian Tors
Tors are very common in the Telangana and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh in India.
Malaysian Tors
- Mount Datuk in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, features tors.
North American Tors
North America has many fascinating tors:
- Stone Mountain in Georgia, USA, is a huge dome-shaped tor.
- Angel Rocks and Granite Tors in the Chena River State Recreation Area, Alaska.
- Elephant Rocks in Missouri are giant granite boulders.
- Texas Canyon in Arizona is famous for its unique tors.
- Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma.
- Pilot Mountain in North Carolina.
- Vedauwoo in Wyoming has amazing granite formations.
New Zealand Tors
New Zealand also has different types of tors:
- Schist tors can be found in Central Otago.
- Ignimbrite tors are located west of Rotorua.
Spanish Tors
- The Central Pyrinees mountains have tors.
- "Castle koppies" (tors) are also found in the Traba Massif in Galicia.
